We hope you haven’t noticed the difference in Neos Kosmos, but there have been changes in the last eight months as a result of the global pandemic.

Despite the chaos, Neos Kosmos continues its frenetic pace with three publications per week, including a bilingual Greek and English issue every Saturday.

Digitally, we’ve been pumping out a flow of COVID-19 related news on our website, and our presence is just as dynamic on social media with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

During COVID-19 our offices have emptied with most of our regular staff self-isolating. Once there were 25 people in our offices, creating a buzz, today there were just ten. Our offices look different and so do we with our face covered in masks, the waft of sanitisers and disinfectants and ribbons to ensure that we don’t forget to keep our distance. In fact, our space these days looks more like a crime scene than a newsroom.

Nonetheless, despite the challenges, our stories covering the pandemic have been read around the globe with online readership constantly growing.

Despite closures of many businesses, we are still operating as an essential service and – regardless of restrictions – our sales have increased. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to cover running costs with dwindling advertising now that events have stopped, schools have shut and, despite our efforts, Neos Kosmos has also been influenced by the state of the country’s finances.

Nonetheless we continue to survive at a time when around 200 papers have shut down around the country.

And we continue to be a reference point for Australian, Greek and global media who turn to us when it comes to insight into the Greek perspective.

READ MORE: Government advice for small business in creating a COVID-19 safe workplace

We especially appreciated the community’s trust in coming to us to share their personal stories, sometimes hard, which we have managed to cover with sensitivity and respect but without covering up any of details which needed to be documented for the sake of public interest.

This of course can only be achieved with your assistance and your support.

The way we were.